Now It's Carriers' Turn To Talk Down WiMax

from the hype-circle dept

A Nokia exec made some waves two weeks ago when he said "cellular networks currently suck," but then said WiMax wouldn't live up to people's expectations. Then, earlier this week, a Qualcomm exec teed off on mobile WiMax. It's easy to characterize both sets of comments as attempts by entrenched cellular data companies to undermine a rival technology, but now, even carriers are saying slow down on the WiMax hype as both customer-premises and carrier equipment remains too expensive, and a lack of standardized spectrum around the world will keep prices high. The CTO of UK carrier BT told a trade-show panel that the first WiMax services will offer between 1 and 2 Mbps -- a far cry from some of the speeds the WiMax hype machine has been throwing out -- and said "the business case for mobile WiMAX is tough". But all this is coming from carriers at one show in Las Vegas. Fly across the country to Boston, where a WiMax show is happening at the same time, and the hype continues.

Reader Comments

Dont believe them

WiMax has already been proven to work just fine out in the wild shortly after Katrina destroyed Louisiana. Wireless Mesh Communities will destroy the investment that these people put into land lines. They will say anything or do anything to stop it. But then again switchboard operators probably would have done the same to protect their industry ...but now they are all gone. If everyone that has Windows XP and a wireless card gets on the mesh (http://research.microsoft.com/mesh/) we can push past their lies. PUT FACTS ON THE GROUND THAT THEY CAN NOT CHANGE!

Re: Dont believe them

I'm curious about this... exactly where was WiMax used in Lousiana?

As far as I can tell, it would be pretty damn difficult to use WiMax because no WiMax equipment actually exists.

My guess is you're thinking about the announcement recently from BellSouth. If that's the case, it's worth noting that that's NOT WIMAX. It's not even close. They're using proprietary wireless equipment from Navini that's CDMA-based, and has very little to do with WiMAX, even if they're calling it "pre-WiMax." Pre-WiMax is just a marketing label from companies that want to offer WiMax once it's available.

Re: Dont believe them

It's available but the large landline companies are trying to halt progress and keep it from being used.
Here's one place that's using a mixture of WiFi and WiMax: http://nwm.mobilepipeline.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=172301422
"The wireless network uses both short-range Wi-Fi signals and a version of a related, longer-range technology known as WiMax. While Wi-Fi and WiMax antennas typically connect with the Internet over a physical cable, the transmitters in this network act as wireless relay points, passing the signal along through a technique known as meshing."

Re: Dont believe them

It's available but the large landline companies are trying to halt progress and keep it from being used.

Nope. That's not WiMax. It's not WiMax because there is no WiMax equipment. Literally. It does not exist. Not a single piece of equipment has yet been certified as meeting the WiMax standards. Lots of companies have "pre-WiMax" equipment, and some in the press say that's WiMax, but it's not.

Re: Dont believe them

Yup. 100% positive. Those aren't WiMax. They're being *called* WiMax by both the companies involved and the press, but they're not even close to WiMax. WiMax DOES NOT EXIST. There is no certified equipment. Certification testing *just started* and there are mixed reports on how well it's actually going.

For about 3 years now companies have been claiming their equipment is WiMax when it isn't -- and the press has been eating it up and turning it around and saying it's WiMax. It's not.